Saturday, May 14, 2011

Weekend Cooking: Farmer's Market

Farmers' market season in central New York is underway at last. Every Saturday, shoppers in villages across the area stroll the green, talk with farmers, vendors, and friends, and stock up on the freshest goods available. When the season is in full swing, music and the aroma of a chicken barbecue often fill the air. There isn't much in the way of local produce yet, but a wide variety of organic vegetables, meats, baked goods, plants and crafts were available.

This morning we bought basil and cilantro plants, tomatoes, cucumbers, and some locally made pasta. A recipe for lemon parsley mafaldine with plum tomatoes and feta was included with the pasta. I'll adapt it slightly for dinner tonight. My favorite free-range organic chicken will be available in early July. I'm counting the days...

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone with a food-related post to share: Book reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button, head over to Beth Fish Reads, and link up anytime over the weekend.

16 comments:

  1. Exciting that it's starting up again! I'm sure in the next few weeks more and more produce will be included.

    Have fun preparing nice meals with them.

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  2. I love Farmer's Market time! We don't have so much fresh stuff grown in the desert, but I have wonderful memories of farmers markets from the midwest! Your dinner sounds great, too!

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  3. Ours starts the week of BEA. I cannot wait to get fresh fruits and veggies and meats and cheeses and flowers and eggs. Ahhhhhhhh I love the farmers' market.

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  4. I happy that our Farmer's Market is back, though there is not a whole lot available yet.
    Hope you enjoy the pasta dish :)

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  5. We have year round farmers markets where I live, they're only monthly though. The produce gets thinner on the ground in winter but the market is still on. It was actually on yesterday. I went and bought a few baked products, but didn't buy any produce this time.

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  6. you can't beat a nice farmers market!

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  7. Leeswammes - Part of the farmers market fun is watching the new varieties of produce appear each week.

    Rhapsodyinbooks - So many people attend the farmers market... it's definitely a weekly highlight for our small village.

    Beth F - Ours started last week, but I missed the first one, too :-(

    TheBookGirl - The pasta dish was great! I'll definitely be trying some of their other varieties.

    Louise - Our community tried monthly indoor markets last winter, but I didn't manage to get there at all. The farmers/vendors said it was very successful.

    Caite - You said it!!

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  8. I spent this week on the internet scouting out various Farmer's Markets in our area! I hope to start making this is a weekly event this summer - in fact, I hope to go to one Farmer's market on Saturday morning and then replenish supplies at a different Farmer's Market on Wednesday mornings.

    I hope to take my camera each week and practice a bit of photography while loading up on healthy fruits and veggies.

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  9. I love fresh produce!! It sincerely makes me happy!!

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  10. Mmmm...I can smell the basil, cilantro & those glorious tomatoes. Wish there were Farmer's Markets like yours around here.

    Enjoy the bounty!

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  11. Molly - I was so disappointed when I realized my camera was at home! Had planned on taking some photos... next time!

    Staci - Me, too! I have a tendency to buy more fruits and vegetables than I need for that very reason...

    DS - Hope to add to the collection next week. We love fresh herbs!

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  12. Aside from the cilantro (!), your picture looks so inviting ... and locally made pasta, how special is that?!

    Yay, Farmer's Market!

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  13. Our Market started yesterday. I love going. It's so much fun to see what each has. I have yet to see someone with homemade pasta - what a treasure.

    Thanks so muc for letting me know you tried my oatmeal cookie recipe. It is so nice to know when someone does that.

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  14. Dawn - The local pasta is a new addition this year. You can bet I'll be back for more!

    Margot - My daughters all loved the cookies. They're gone now, but the girls are talking about making more this week.

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  15. I peeked out to my backyard this morning and it looks as though all this rain has been good for the rhubarb. Will have to go and peer between the leaves and see whats hiding.

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  16. Heather- My husband loves rhubarb, but the only way I seem to eat it is in pie with strawberries.

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